Fibrocartilaginous embolism

I had a spinal cord stroke this past summer. My neurologist thinks it may have been a fibrocartilaginous embolism. What might I expect? Will this happen to me again? What is the amount of recovery on average with this type of injury and what caused it?

A diagnosis of fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) is generally suspected based on the presence of characteristic signs and symptoms. Other conditions that cause similar features can be ruled out using the following tests:[1][2]

Unfortunately, FCE is generally only confirmed with a biopsy, often performed at the time of autopsy.[1] It is thought that FCE may be underdiagnosed and that it may be more common than originally thought.[3]

Last updated: 8/25/2017

How might fibrocartilaginous embolism be treated?

There is, unfortunately, no specific treatment for fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). Management is generally focused on preventing possible complications and improving quality of life with medications and physical therapy.[1]

What is the long-term outlook for people affected by fibrocartilaginous embolism?

The long-term outlook (prognosis) for people affected by fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) was once thought to be extremely poor with little hope for improvement of symptoms. However, more recent research has challenged this assumption. Many researchers now believe that there is a much wider spectrum of the severity and recovery associated with FCE. Researchers also suspect that the length and degree of recovery depends on many factors including:[2][5]

The location of FCE along the spinal cord

The extent of spinal cord ischemia (restriction of blood supply to organs or tissues)

Last updated: 8/25/2017

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